Shoe form



Feb. 27, 1934. A, G LEG E 1,948,621

SuOE FORM Fiied March 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2, ill rzd i Q2? MJ [/2uerzfors Feb. 27, 1934. LEGGE 1,948,621

SHOE FORM Filed March 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 7 [Jaye/Zionportions13 and 14 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 PATENT! OFFICE SHOE FOR-M Alfred G.Legge, Brockton, Mass.

Application March 14, 1933.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to hollow shoe forms having a thin flexible walladapted to be spread into engagement with the upper of a shoe. It is anobject of the present invention to provide improved means formaintaining the walls of the toe part of the form in engagement with thetoe part of the upper of the shoe.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a shoe form embodying theinvention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken upon the lines 2-2 and 33 ofFig. 1, respectively;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the form collapsed;

Fig. 5 is a plan View, partly broken away, of a shoe form inserted in aladys shoe; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description and not in limitation, and it is not intendedto limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of theprior art.

In the accompanying drawings a shoe form F is shown comprising a hollowtoe part 10 of .sheet celluloid or other flexible sheet material,

the opposite side walls of which are provided with bottom inturnedflanges 11 and 12 normally positioned in a common plane. The flange 11is provided with a pair of recesses forming raised therein and theflange 12 is provided with a recess forming a raised portion 15 therein.Arms 16 and 17 are secured, as by rivets 18, to the raised portions 13and 15 in the flanges 11 and 12 respectively. The free ends of the arms16 and 1'7 are formed with eyes 20 and 21 surrounding and pivotallyengaging a hollow bearing 22 which serves to pivotally connect the arms16 and 1'7 so that they may swing in a plane intersecting the generalplane of the inturned flanges 11 and 12. An arm 25 is secured at oneend, as by a rivet 26, to the raised portion 14 in the flange 11. Thearm 25 extends inwardly and then rearwardly through the hollow bear- 5ing 22 and is provided at its free end with a downwardly extending prong2'? adapted to engage the Serial No. 660,653

insole 28 of a shoe 29. The arm 25 is also provided with an upwardlyextending intermediate portion 30 which is adapted to engage the hearing22.

When the shoe form of the invention is to be inserted in a shoe, thearms 16 and 17 are swung upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby movingthe opposite side walls of the form relatively toward one another tocollapse the form and at the same time moving the arm 25 upwardly tobring the 5 downwardly extending prong 27 above the general plane of theinturned flanges 11 and 12. The form in this condition is insertedwithin the toe part of the shoe and the arms 16 and 17 are swungdownwardly past their dead center position and in engagement with theinsole of the shoe, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This causes the sidewalls of the form to be moved relatively away from one another to expandthe form in engagement with the upper of the shoe and at the same timecauses the downwardly extending prong to be brought into engagement withthe insole of the shoe. Any tendency for the form to be forcedrearwardly in the shoe is resisted by the engagement of the prong 27with the insole of the shoe and by the upwardly extending intermediateportion 30 of the arms 25 engaging the bearing 22. y

In forms for certain types of shoes, such as ladies shoes, the arm 25may be eliminated, if desired, and the side walls of the form shaped toengage the portion of the shoe where the upper merges with the shank.This is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein a form F is shown insertedin a ladys shoe 29'. The form F comprises a hollow toe part 16 of sheetcelluloid or other flexible sheet material, the side walls of which areprovided with bottom inturned flanges l1 and 12, normally positioned ina common plane. The

rear ends of the side portions of the form are so Y shaped and mergedwith the rear ends of the inturned flanges 11 and 12' as to snuglyengage the portion S of the shoe 29' where the upper merges with theshank of the shoe so as to prevent the form F being forced rearwardly inthe shoe. The flanges 11 and 12 are provided with recesses formingraised portions 13' and 15'. Arms 16 and 17 are secured, as by rivets18, to the raised portions 13' and 15 respectively. The free ends of thearms 16 and 17 are formed with eyes 20' and 21' surrounding andpivotally engaging a hollow bearing 22' which serves to pivotallyconnect the arms 16 and 1'? so that they may swing in a planeintersecting the common plane in which 116 the inturned flanges 11 and12' are normally positioned.

I claim:

1. A shoe form comprising a hollow flexible toe part having its oppositeside walls provided with bottom inturned flanges, and. an arm secured toeach of said flanges above the general plane thereof, said arms beingpivotally connected to swing in a plane intersecting the plane of saidflanges to move said side walls relatively to expand and collapse saidform whereby said arms may be swung to and maintained in a slightly oficenter position in engagement with the insole of a shoe to maintain saidform expanded in said shoe.

2. A shoe form comprising a hollow flexible toe part having its oppositeside walls provided with bottom inturned flanges, an arm secured to eachof said flanges above the general plane thereof, a hollow bearing towhich said arms are pivotally connected to swing in a plane intersectingthe plane of said flanges to move said side walls relatively to expandand collapse said form whereby said arms may be swung to and maintainedin a slightly off center position in engagement with the insole of ashoe to maintain said form expanded in said shoe, and a member extendingthrough said bearing having a downwardly extending prong adapted toengage the insole of a shoe and having an intermediate upwardlyextending portion adapted to engage said bearing to prevent rearwardmovement of the form.

ALFRED G. LEGGE.

